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New Data Show Abstinence Sex Education Reduces
The Initiation Of Sex Among Teens

Choosing the Best curricula provide school districts
a solution to help reduce pregnancy
and the spread of STDs among teenagers

ATLANTA, Oct. 26, 2004 — Choosing the Best, a leader in true abstinence sex education, today announced study results that show its curricula reduce the initiation of sex among teenagers in three critical grade levels – seventh, eighth and ninth – thereby reducing the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and becoming pregnant for those students who complete the program.

After one year, ninth grade students who completed Choosing the Best curricula were 26 percent less likely to initiate sexual intercourse compared to a control group. And when Choosing the Best was taught by more experienced abstinence teachers, that rate nearly doubled. In addition, when all three sequential Choosing the Best curricula are taught, a cumulative reduction of 50 to 60 percent is projected.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national rate of sexually active high school students has declined by 16 percent over the past decade,” said Bruce Cook, president and founder of Choosing the Best. “In just one year, Choosing the Best has accelerated this rate to 26 percent for those ninth graders who complete the program.”

The new data, which showed statistically significant behavioral changes in a one-year follow-up study, stemmed from a rigorously-designed experimental study. The study included nearly 1,000 students who represented a cross-section of racial and demographic makeup in both program and control groups.

“The data suggest the Choosing the Best program reduces the initiation of sexual activity for a significant number of teens who complete the program,” said Joe McIlhaney, M.D., president of The Medical Institute and a leading expert on teen sexual activity. “It’s reasonable to conclude that the Choosing the Best program can help reduce the high teen pregnancy rates.”

Choosing the Best true abstinence sex education curricula are used in school districts, parent and community organizations in all 50 states with more than one million students having completed the program. To effectively reach students, Choosing the Best engages students in several key areas of instruction including the physical and emotional risks of sexual behavior, the benefits of abstinence, relationships and refusal skills.

In addition, Choosing the Best uniquely involves parents in its curricula through daily dialogue assignments and a parent book, as studies show parents are the most important influencers in preventing teens from engaging in sexual behavior.

To obtain Choosing the Best true abstinence sex education curricula, please visit www.choosingthebest.com.